Caster



W. F. HEROLD July 29, 1930.

CASTER Filed JanA 24. 1927 l N V EN TUR. Wmv-LR F HERULD. BY

A TTORNEY.

Patented July 29, 1930 UNITED STATES vPAT1-1NT*QITITTCE;

WALTER Y1?. I-IEROED, OF UPPER MONTCLAIR, NEXXTr JERSEY, SSIGNOR TOITHE BASSICKy TVCOMPANY, F BRIDGEPORT,CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF GONNEC'lIGlIT'JTv cAsTEB.

applicati@ mea January 24, y1927. serial No. 163,247,

" The present invention relates to `improvements in casters, and has for an object to provide a socket and pintleVr structure, in which pintle retaining means is provided at the base of the socket, so that the latter may beof any desired size orshape, without -respect to the pintle shape ordiameter. It

is particularly proposed to provide pintle retaining means in the form of a loosely mounted spring ring, which during normal operation of the caster will be' out of frictional gripping relation tothe pintle, and

'will furthermorenot beunder tension, so `that there will be no wear, deformation, or

other action 'on theA ring that might aHect its pintle retaining functions. Another object is to'provide such retaining meanswhich will positively position and maintain the pintle in relation to its bearings in the socket, and by whichl an'increased holding action is obtained, so that an appreciable pull upon thecaster is required to removeit.l A furtherobject is to provide astructure in which the wear yupon the ringduring insertion and removal of the caster will be negligible, the

ring having only momentary engagement over a small portion of the pintle.v

`A still furtherobject is to provide an im proved* pintle structure, in which a grooved or shouldered part isprovided for coopera- Vtion with the retaining means,4 without im# pairing the strength of the pintle, and in which the tension required in inserting and 'removing the pintle may be regulated and accurately proportioned by the shape of the shouldered part. f Y,

With the above and other objects invview,

V`embodimentsy of the invention are shownfin the. accompanying drawings, and-"thesee'mbodiments will be hereinafter more fully de scribed with reference thereto, andthe/'invention lwill be finally pointedout' inl-'the claims. 'i "A T In the'drawings rig 1 is aside @amacaf'afaastgocke'g r according@ one'embodimeeffaf:thefirten;

. Fig

nres of the drawings.

fij-int' wref-'eTheaendgeiocfthe 20 will'pass downwardl'ypasttheiupperwalls of thses laf-and-1s,whereupowhemre Fig. 8 is abottomplan ,viewl of the socket; Fig. 4t is a vertical sectional View ofy a modilied form of socket, according to the .invention, showing 'the same securedy in a wood furniture leg, and with the caster pintlein place;

Fig. 5 is a top'plan view of thesoclet; and i Figs. 6, 7 fand 8 are views, partly in eleva-V `provided in annularly spacedrelationfto'its flange with'diametrically opposed ci'rcinn#l ferential slits 12 and r13, the portion ofthe leg mountbetweensaid slits .being depressed to form said slits into laterally extending slots for securing the'spring frame ends",jaiid'l provided Centrally lwith aj pintle re Opening 14.. f i ,1

The springy yframe comprisefsfa Ytru cated cone-shapodtop portion 15having Ved lati theiriower ends!" with '-ir'iwardly olset 'contracted'leg mount engaging' vportions.j`,19 raving'y f1as?any-atterrir@cireunireternal,v y yend flanges" '2 0 bentfoiitwa Th Springs' 'frame iS slsemb de? pressed cone-'shaped'c'enter lzi'earilngll side legs 17 joined tothe topby an annular position within the furniture leg the side legs are contracted so that they engage the under surface of the leg substantially over their entire outer surface, and exert an outward pressure to firmly retain thel caster mounting frame and legl mount, the lower end ofthe leg being engaged within the peripheral flange of the leg mount. In this attached relation the end flanges 2O extend directly beneath the lo-W'er end Vofthe furniture` leg;

The pintle retaining means of the invention is carried upon the leg mount 1l, and:

in the present embodiment consists of a cup member 2l having a'centralpintle receiving opening 22 in line with the opening 14'-, and secured-f. by projecting ears 23 inserted through: slots 24': in. theleg mount and bent over upon the und-er surface thereof. /Vithin the" cupY there is loosely engaged andretained. a split spring ring 25, its inner diameter beingf smaller than that ofthe. openingsl4 and-22 and its outer diameter smaller .than the inner diameterl of Vthe cup, this spring ring adapted, as will hereinaftermore fully appear, to retain the caster pintle by loose engagement within a g'roovedV or shouldered portion thereof.

l y The detachable caster consists of the usual horn 26, havingV a Acaster wheel= 27 rotatably carriedt-herein uponan axle 28, andi having a pintle 29 secured i-n its upper transverse portionthe lower end of the pintle being. provided with a flange or shoulder 30 engaging the upper surfaceof the horn-` I rIfhe pintle is providedy at its lower portion with anA enargeddiameter portionBl provided with an annulargroove 32, and'y above the groove there is. provideda. portion 33 tapering from the upper edge of the groove tothe upper smaller diameter portion of the pintle. K At the upper end ofthe pintle there is provided a; cone'- shaped recess, 34 adapted toengage the cenyand isy out of zgripping;Contact.

struction the upper portion :ofthe pintle may "I l is :obvious,that withn the present eenbe of any desired'shape or diameter .that itl-1e v,spltilgJ framelmay' constructed withv out," to such). shape; or fdiameter, Y and particularlyfit maybe',foylllfled;to engage the Y furnitureinthei mosteftigcient manner, with 1a' f ll' ft, 1for instanceyaslshown in the present pintle is such that no weakened area is produced, but on the contrary, the base of the pintle, where there is the most strain, is proportionately strengthened by the enlarged diameter portion.

In Fig..4 IY have illustrated armodilicatio'n edges of the blank' providing longitudinal seams 43 at opposed' sides of the socket member. At the base of,V the socket member there is provided an annular outwardly bent shoulder 44 and an annular downwardly bent flange 45. The base mem-ber 4.6;.cupp'edf up .from sheet metal stock,Y is providedwi-th an inwardly bent bottom tlafngfe 47 andv an.- upwardly bent bottom pintle bearing` flange 48, theflang'e 4Z being'beveled-inwardlyfrom its point of. contact with' the.' flange 45; At the upper edge of the base there are formed spaced upwardly' projecting prongs 49, and betweenv these are provided lug portions 50, adapted, as shown in F ig.- 5, to.- be bent inwardly upon theupper surface of the" shoulder 44to secure the base to the socket mem- ,i

ber,`the pintle retaining spring ring'l being loosely disposed and retained inthe annular space'between the shoulder 44 and theflang-e 45,and` the bottom pintle bearing flange 48.

The caster and pintle structure issimilar to that shown iny the first described embodi ment7 the pintle having bearing; at its upper end' with the conical topbearing portion 41 of the socket, and at its lower end with the llange 48, and being retained inthe socket by loose engagement ofthe ring infjthe pintle groove 42, so that while the caster-is thus retained against dropping out, the ring isf not tensioned and.V is freeof! (tri 1 in `contact.

InFigs. 6, 7 and 8 I have illustrated several modifiedforms of pi-ntles',v thesebeing adapted for production in a header, without addi tional machiningoperations.Y Thepintle 52, shown in F ig. 6,. provided with'a base flange 53 having a shouldered portion 54 disposed between it and the cylindrical surface ofthe pintle, the upper jsurfacefof` this shoulder adapted'A tol form the low-er` walll of the pintle groove, Avsheet metal.- collar. isspun or otherwise suitably secured` upon thepintle' abovethe shoulder 54,. and includes a cylindrical portion 55v adjacent the shoulder and adapted to form the base of the groove,.'a shouldered portion 56 opposed tofthef shoulder 54 and adaptedtofform the upper wall of the groove, andA ataperedhportion 5.7 extendf ing from the shoulder 56 to the surface of-.tle pintle: n

Y yllnthe embodiment sliownin 7adif- 1 ferent form ofcollar is provided,Y comprising a cylindrical portion 58 and a tapered portion 59, bent downwardly from its upper edge, and inwardly against the portion 58 in spaced relation to its lower edge, to form Y the upper wall of the pintle groove.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 8, an annular integral enlargement 60 is formed in the/pintle in spaced relation to the shoulder 5a', forming a ring expanding portion and the upper wall of the pintle groove.

The pintle structure, as disclosed herein, is adapted to determine the proportionate force required to insert or remove the pintle, the pitch of thetapered lead portion above the groove determining the force required in inserting the pintle through the spring ring, while the upper wall of the groove determines the force required in removing it, the upper wall., as shown in Fig. 6, for instance, providing a greater resistance to removal than the upper wall, as shown in Fig. 8.

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory embodiments of the invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be made therein within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the apppended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s l. In a caster, or the like, the combination of a floor engaging element including` a pintle having an annular' recess and a side thrust bearing portion below said recess of larger diameter than said recess, and a pintle receiving element adapted to be secured to a furniture leg or thelike having a bearing aperture adapted to be engaged by said bearing portion of the pintle, andincluding a pintle retaining spring ring looselyretained in said element adapted to be expended by said pintle during insertion and upon complete insertion to contract into said annular recess in loosev untensioned relation therein, said ring being loosely rotatable in its pintle retaining relation both with respect to the pintle and said pintle receiving element, said bearing portion of the pintle and said bearing aperture adapted to maintain a substantially vertical axial relation of said pintle to prevent side pressure on said springring.

2. In a caster, or the like, the combination of a iioor engaging elementincluding a pintle having an annular recess in proximity to its base, and a side thrust bearing portion below said recess of larger diameter than said recess, and a pintle receiving element adapted to be secured to a furniture leg or the like having a bearing aperture adapted to be engaged by said bearing portion of the pintle, and including a pintle retaining spring ring loosely retained in said element at its base adapted to be expanded by said pintle during insertion and upon complete insertion to contract into said annular recess in loose untensioned relation therein, said ring being loosely rotatable in its pintle retaining relation both with respect to the pintle and said pintle receiving element, saidbearing porv tion of the pintle and said bearing aperture adapted to maintain a substantially vertical axial relation of said pintle to prevent side pressure on said spring ring.

3. In a caster, orthe like, the combination of a floor engaging element including a pintle having an annular recess in proximlty to its base anda side thrust bearing portion below said recess of larger diameter than said recess, and a pintle receiving element adapted to be secured to a` furniture leg or the like having a bearing aperture adapted to be engaged by said bearing portion of the pintle, and including an annular portion constituting a spring retaining pocket, and a spring ring loosely retained in said pocket and adapted to be expanded by said pintle during insertion and upon complete kinsertion to contract within said annular recess in loose unsaid recess of larger diameter than said rey f cess, and a pintle receiving element adapted to be securedto a furniture leg or the likey having a bearing aperture adapted to be engaged by said bearing portion of the pintle,

and including an annular spring ring and a plurality of pocket forming elements adapted to be assembled axially with the spring ring loosely contained in the pocket formed thereby, and said ring adapted to be expanded by said pintle during insertion and uponk complete insertion to contract within said annular recess in loose untensioned relation therein, said ring `being loosely rotatable in its pintle retaining relation both with respect tothe pintle and said pintle receiving element, said bearing portion of the pintle and said bearing aperture adapted to maintain a substantially vertical axial relation of' said pintle tov prevent side pressure on said spring ring.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, this 18th day of January, 1927.

WALTER F. HEROLD.

lil) 

